Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Being kind to yourself



One of my biggest hurtles in life was to learn to love myself. In earlier years, I felt terribly unworthy. I tried to escape from it by covering it up and denying it. But it followed me into every relationship, work place, and social event. Nothing helped until I surrendered to facing the truth about how I felt. I began working on it. It's been many years since then. So much has changed. The woman who once felt unworthy, is gone. In her place is a woman who still has work to do on herself, but embraces her life more lightheartedly, has the willingness to change the things that rob her of joy, and treats herself in a loving, nurturing way. I had to break old patterns of talking harshly to myself. I had to stop putting myself last on the list. If I wanted to feel good about myself, my self-talk needed to be kind. I had to let go of perfectionism (another form of abuse), allowing myself to make mistakes. And most of all, I had to learn to listen to what my needs were.

If you have issues with self-esteem, make a commitment to break old self-defeating patterns of behavior. Learn to treat yourself with the love and respect you deserve. God bless. 

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I was never a cat lover until my daughter gave me Mechi (I was told Mechi is an Asian word for "beautiful"). Mechi's sweetness won me over quickly. Sadly, I lost her four years ago, to kidney failure. But she'll always have a special place in my heart.

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My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”
Maya Angelou


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"I am enough"